Horse hitch and checking device.



J. T. DOYLE. HORSE HITCH AND GHEGKING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10,1905.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. T. DOYLE.

HORSE HITCH AND CHECKING DEVICE; APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1905.

Patented Dec.28, 1909.

., ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

attozmug JAMES T. DOYLE,

OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

HORSE HITCH AND CHECKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. as, 1909.

Application filed August 10, 1905. Serial No. 273,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. DOYLE, citizen of the United States,residing at Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Horse Hitch and CheckingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to horse hitches and checking devices, and one ofits objects is to provide a device of this character which is adapted totimely check any capricious movement of a horse and compel it to remainin the position in which it was left.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fullydescribed, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinthe preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated and in which:

Figure 1 is view in side elevation of a vehicle with a horse attached,illustrating the application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof the shafts and the front portion of the running gear of the vehicle.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of that portion of the vehicle illustratedin Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the shafts andoperating bars, illustrating the manner in which the bars are adapted tobe secured in applied position. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view ofone of the guide plates. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of thelever by means of which the operating bars can be moved into inoperativepositions. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the operating bars. Fig.8 is a vertical sectional view through the connecting bar of the vehicleshafts.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, 1 designates a vehicleof a conventional type, 2 its front wheels and 3 its shafts.

Operating bars are pivotally mounted for vertical movements preferablyupon the outer sides of the shafts 3, and each consists of a securinghead 4, a wheel engaging or free end 5 and a spring portion 6. The wheelengaging or free end 5 of each operating bar is adapted to occupy aposition between two of the spokes of one of the vehicle wheels when thebar is in operative posi-' tion. Base plates 7 are secured upon theouter sides of the shafts 3 by means of clips 8. Studs 9 are secured toand project from the plates 7 and have their ends reduced to be looselyreceived by eyes 10 of the securing heads 4. The reduced ends of thestuds 9 are screw-threaded for the reception of nuts 11 which pivotallyretain the operating bars on the studs. Springs-12 are coiled about theenlarged portions of the studs 9 and each has one of its ends secured toeach of the base plates 7. The other ends of the springs are extendedfor short dis tances parallel with and then bent to embrace theoperating bars. The springs are adapted to yieldingly support theoperating bars, the bars being preferably supported in parallel relationto the shafts 3 of the vehicle. When in operative positions, theoperating bars are adapted to be moved downwardly under the tension ofthe springs by the movement of the horse in a forward or sidewisedirection. When in such supported positions, the operating bars are notliable to be injured, and do not form obstructions or mar the appearanceof the vehicle. The springs tend to move the operating bars intopositions where no tension will be placed on the reins, and when thebars are not in use yieldingly support the bars in such positions.Supplemental reins or members 13 are secured at their front ends to themain reins 14 just in rear of the terrets, and have their rear endspassed through openings 15 in guides 16, then through eyes 17 secured tothe wheel engaging ends-5 of the operating bars, and thence through eyes18 in the guides 16 whence they are suitably secured, said guides 16being secured to the shafts 3 by means of screws or other fasteningmeans passing through openings 16 in said guides and engaging theshafts.

The operating bars are normally held in operative positions, that is,their wheel engaging or free ends are normally held in operativerelation to the front wheels of the vehicle by the spring portions 6thereof. The operating bars are adapted to be moved into and held ininoperative positions, that is, their wheel engaging or free ends areadapted to be moved and retained out of operative relation with thevehicle wheels by means of a lever 19 and spring catch 24. The springportions 6 of the operating bars are under tension when the bars are ininoperative positions, whereby when the operating bars are released thespring portions thereof move the wheel engaging ends into operativerelation with the vehicle wheels, that is to say, the operating bars areautomatically moved into operative positions. The automatic movement ofeach operating bar is at an angle to its pivotal movement. It should benoted that portions of the operating bars beyond their pivots haveautomatic movements.

The lever 19 is pivotally mounted a point between its ends upon theconnectmg bar 20 of the shafts 3 by a member 19*, see Fig. 2 of thedrawings, and it is connected at its ends to the operating bars by meansof flexible or other suitable members 21. The connection between thelever and operating bars is such that when the lever is turned in onedirection, the bars are moved into inoperative positions. The lever isadapted to be held in position to retain the operating bars ininoperative positions by means of the spring catch 2st. The spring catchis secured to the connecting bar 20 at one side of the pivot of thelever and is provided with a shoulder 23, which normally lies in thepath of the movement of the lever 19, and with an inclined face 2%.WVhen the lever 19 is operated to move the operating bars intoinoperative positions, it rides over the inclined face 2e and moves thecatch to withdraw the shoulder 23 out of its path of movement.Immediately after the lever passes the shoulder 23, the catch returns toits normal position, placing the shoulder 1n the path of the movement ofthe lever so that when the lever is released it will be moved by thespring portions 6 of the operating bars to engage the shoulder and bethereby held in position to retain the operating bars in inoperativepositions. The catch 24 is adapted to be withdrawn to re lease the leverby means of a flexible or other suitable member 25, which is secured atone end to an eye upon the catch. The other end of the member I 25 ispassed through an eye 26 011 the upper edge of the dash-board 27 of thevehicle and is provided with a handle 28 disposed within convenientreach of the occupant of the vehicle.

The operation of my improved hitching and checking device may be statedto be as follows: IVhen it is desired to use the device, the occupantwithdraws the catch 24 through the medium of the member 25 beforeleaving the vehicle. The withdrawal of the catch releases the lever 19,whereupon the operating bars are automatically moved into operativepositions by the spring portions 6 thereof. A forward movement of thehorse will turn the wheels in a direction to move the operating barsdownwardly under the tension of the springs,

which movements of the bars will, through the medium of the supplementalreins 13, pull rearwardly on the reins 14, thus checking the movement ofthe horse and causing it to move rearwardly until the springs return-thebars to positions where all tension is removed from the reins. Amovement of the horse to one side will turn the wheel on that side ofthe vehicle farthest removed from the direction in which the horse ismoving in a direction to move the operating bar connected therewithdownwardly, and the rein connected with said operating bar will bepulled rearwardly, resulting in checking the movement of the horse andcausing it to move in the reverse sidewise direction until the spring ofsaid operating bar returns it to a position where all strain is removedfrom the rein with which said operating bar is connected. A rearwardmovement of the horse will be stopped by the wheel engaging ends of theoperating bars engaging the spokes and holding the wheels againstmovement.

It should be apparent from the above description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, that I provide a device which will hitchand check a horse, that it may be applied to any character of vehicle,and that it is efiective and positive in operation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,a resilient operating bar secured at its forward end to one of theshafts of the vehicle, its free end adapted to move outwardly to engageone of the wheels, and means to retract said free end at will.

2. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,an operating bar secured at its forward end to a shaft of the vehicle,its free end adapted to move out wardly to engage one of the wheelsbetween the spokes, means connecting the operating bar and the drivingrein, and means to retract the free end of the operating bar at will.

3. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,an operating bar secured at its forward end to a shaft of the vehicle,and substantially in parallelism therewith, its free end adapted to moveoutwardly to engage one of the wheels, and means to retract the free endat will.

I. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with avehicle,an operating bar secured at its forward end to a shaft of the vehicle,its free end adapted to move outwardly to engage one of the wheels andto move downwardly as the wheel advances, means to retract said freeend, and means to return said operating bar substantially to parallelismwith the shaft.

5. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,an operating bar secured at its forward end to a shaft of the vehicle,its free end adapted to move outwardly to engage one of the wheels andto move upwardly 0r downwardly with the movement of the wheel, and aconnection between the free end of the operating bar and one of thedriving reins.

6. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a. vehicle,an operating bar pivotally secured at its forward end to a shaft of thevehicle, its free end adapted to move outwardly to engage one of thewheels, and to move upwardly or clownwardly with the movement of thewheel, and a spring between the shaft and operating bar to retain thelatter substantially in parallelism with the shaft when said bar is outof engagement with the wheel.

7. Ina horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,an operating bar pivotally secured at its forward end to a shaft of thevehicle, its free end adapted to move outwardly to engage one of thewheels, means to retract the free end, and a coil spring between theshaft and the operating bar to retain the latter substantially inparallelism with the shaft when said bar is withdrawn from engagementwith the wheel.

8. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,an operating bar pivoted at its forward end upon a stud on a shaft, acoil spring on the stud and engaging with the operating bar to retainthe latter substantially in parallelism with the shaft when out ofengagement with the wheel.

9. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,operating bars secured at their forward ends to the shafts of thevehicle, the free ends of said bars adapted to move outwardly to engagethe wheels, and a connection between the free ends of the operating barswhereby the free ends of said bars may be simultaneously retracted.

10. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,operating bars secured at their forward ends to the shafts of thevehicle, the free ends of said bars adapted to move outwardly to engagethe wheels, and a flexible connection between the free ends of theoperating bars whereby the free ends of said bars may be simultaneouslyretracted.

11. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,an operating bar secured at its forward end to a shaft of the vehicle,and having its rear end free, a lever pivoted on the shaft connectingbar, and a connection between the end of the lever and the free end ofthe operating bar.

12. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,operating bars secured at their forward ends to the shafts of thevehicle, their free ends adapted to move outwardly to engage the wheels,a rocking lever pivoted on the shaft connecting bar, connections betweenthe lever and the free ends of the operating bars to retract the latter,and a latch to hold the lever down when the operating bars are re: tacted.

13. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,operating bars secured at their forward ends to the shafts of thevehicle, their free ends adapted to move outwardly to engage the wheels,a rocking lever pivoted on the shaft connecting bar, connections betweenthe lever and the free ends of the operating bars to retract the latter,and a latch to hold the lever down when the ope ating bars areretracted, and means to release the said latch.

14. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,an operating bar secured at its forward end upon the shaft of thevehicle, and having its rear end free, a guide upon the shaft, asupplemental rein connecting with the driving rein and passing throughthe guide and engaging with the free end of the operating bar, andsecured to the guide by its rear end.

15. In a horse hitch and checking device, in combination with a vehicle,operating bars secured at their forward ends to the shafts of thevehicle, having their rear ends free and adapted to move outwardly toengage the wheels, a rocking lever pivoted on the shaft connecting bar,connections between the lever and the free ends of the operating bars toretract the latter, a latch to hold the lever down when the operatingbars are retracted, and means between the vehicle and the latch to movethe latter at will to release the retracting lever.

16. The combination with a vehicle, of an operating bar mounted forpivotal inovement in one direction, means for inducing automaticmovement of a portion of the bar beyond the pivotal support in adirection at an angle to its pivotal movement, such automatic movementthrowing the bar into operative engagement with one of the wheels of thevehicle, a member by means of which the bar can be connected to a horsesbit, and means by which the bar may be held against such automaticmovement.

17. A horse hitch comprising an operating bar mounted for pivotalmovement in one direction, means for inducing automatic movement of aportion of the bar beyond the pivotal support in a direction at an angleto its pivotal movement, a member by means of which the bar can beconnected to a horses bit, means adapted to yieldingly support the bar,and means adapted to hold the bar against such automatic movement.

18. A horse hitch comprising a spring bar mounted for pivotal movement,the spring movement of the bar operating at an angle to its pivotalmovement, a member by means &

of which the bar can be connected to a horses bit, and means adapted tohold the bar against such spring movement.

7 19. A horse hitch comprising a spring bar mounted for pivotalmovement, the spring movement of the bar operating at an angle to itspivotal movement, a member by means of which the bar can be connected toa horses bit, means adapted to yieldingly support the bar, and meansadapted to hold the bar against such spring movement.

20. A horse hitch comprising a spring bar mounted for pivotal movement,the spring movement of the bar operating at an angle to its pivotalmovement, a member by means of Which the bar can be connected to ahorses bit, means adapted to hold the bar against such spring movement,a pivotallymounted lever, a connection between the lever and bar, andmeans adapted to hold the lever against movement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

JAMES T. DOYLE.

Vitnesses T. E. TEN EYCK, D. P. QUIGLEY.

